battle axe
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See also: battleaxe and battle-axe
English[edit]

Alternative forms[edit]
Pronunciation[edit]
Audio (AU) (file)
Noun[edit]
battle axe (plural battle axes)

- An ancient military weapon, an axe designed for combat, including (in heraldry) when borne on arms as a mark of prowess.
- 1786, Francis Grose, A Treatise on Ancient Armour and Weapons, page x:
- Another battle-ax, in the same collection.
- (informal, sometimes humorous) A domineering, antagonistic woman.
- (informal) An electric guitar.
- 2013, Kiley Armstrong, “"108 Rock Star Guitars" reveals battle-ax beauty”, in Associated Press[1]:
- The instruments (one's named Baby) evoke tender talk from macho musicians. But some of these battle-ax beauties have seen more action than a roller derby queen: They bear the gashes and sweat stains to prove it.
- (Australia, usually spelt "battleaxe") An allotment of land at the rear of another property, with a long, narrow strip of land connecting it to the roadway.
Usage notes[edit]
Formerly a term of mild opprobrium, "battle-ax" or "old battle-ax" is now sometimes a term of approval or self-identification for an assertive woman.
Synonyms[edit]
- (antagonistic woman): See Thesaurus:shrew
Translations[edit]
ancient military weapon
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belligerent woman
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electric guitar — see electric guitar
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- The Manual of Heraldry, Fifth Edition, by Anonymous, London, 1862, online at [2]
Further reading[edit]
battle axe on Wikipedia.Wikipedia